people who are perfecting "losing life"

Today the UPS man brought the best package ever. A church planter's care package from our good friends Pam, Jeff and company. A CD of worship songs along with a note telling us how each song was being prayed for Restore. Planters nuts for church planters. Healthy snacks. Not so healthy - home made fudge and fast food gift cards for planters on the go....oh my friends know me well.

9 days and counting until we hold our first weekly public service for Restore Community Church. I am so excited and so nervous and so at peace all at the same time. I don't know who I am more excited for: 1. the people who will come to restore and find their way back to God, or 2. our launch team members who will have the priviledge of watching their hard work turn into to something that helps people find Jesus.

Since we mailed the first two postcards about the grand opening of Restore, we have started to get phone calls and e-mails. Every time someone calls, we write their names on the kitchen chalkboard wall. Someday, we will meet the faces behind those names and some of those people we will build years of community with. The anticipation of that is very much like the weeks before you give birth to a baby....you just can't wait to meet this child who will change your life forever....

One of the scariest things about moving from Chicagoland to Kansas City to start Restore Community Church was leaving friends. Especially my kids friends. Were they going to make new friends?? I hoped so...and I certainly prayed for them.